PRESTON, Minn. — A complex chain of evidence led investigators to conclude a woman swapped places with her identical twin sister at the scene of a fatal September crash in southeastern Minnesota.

That same evidence is why neither Samantha Jo Petersen nor her sister Sarah Beth Petersen has been taken into custody on the dozens of charges they face from the crash, Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge said at a Thursday news conference.

The charges were filed in Fillmore County District Court earlier this week.

Wilma Miller, 7, and Irma Miller, 11, were killed on Sept. 25 when the driver of a 2005 Toyota 4Runner SUV struck the horse-drawn Amish buggy they were riding in on Fillmore County Road 1 near Racine. Their siblings Alan Miller, 9, and Rose Miller, 13, were also injured in the crash.

Recorded audio and witness accounts of a similar-looking woman arriving on the scene, who then changed clothes, led investigators to believe Sarah Petersen, who took responsibility for the crash, may have been covering for her sister Samantha Petersen.

Other evidence, including cellphone records, blood tests and an advanced crash report, supports that theory, DeGeorge said. However, that evidence takes time to acquire and process.

“All of those things take a long time to get back,” he said. “If this were to go to trial before we have all this evidence back, we risk losing the case.”

Samantha Petersen has been charged with 21 counts, including eight felony counts of criminal vehicular homicide and eight counts of criminal vehicular operation. The complaint was filed on Monday. Sarah Petersen faces 16 felony counts of felony charges relating to aiding an offender and taking responsibility for criminal acts. Those charges were filed on Wednesday.

DeGeorge said he understood the public frustration, as it took more than four months before charges materialized.

“I appreciate that people are paying attention,” he said, adding that the questions were understandable.

“But it’s a whole lot tougher to answer if the suspect walks,” he said.

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